The foundations of WGBH: 84 Mass. Ave.

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From Don Hallock: Many extraordinarily-gifted figures and luminaries of the day — in the arts, science, politics and education — found their ways into the halls and studios of the original WGBH-TV/FM studios at 84 Massachusetts Avenue.

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A stranger in a strange land

Fred Barzyk (2007)

From Fred Barzyk: Bill insisted I try to get into the scholarship program. You studied for your graduate degree at Boston University and worked three days a week at the Educational Television station. Free tuition and you got $600 to live a year in Boston!

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Remembering the original WGBH

84 Massachusetts Avenue

From Art Singer: Fifty one years ago this past September, on several late afternoons a week, I would take the twenty minute walk from BU across the Charles to the station’s studios on the MIT campus for a night’s work.

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David Atwood: Getting started at WGBH

Fred Barzyk and David Atwood (2007)

From David Atwood Needing a job fresh out of college in the fall of 1965 I made an alphabetical list of Boston’s TV stations. The first was WBZ. I set out from Woburn, found WBZ and went in looking for work. They said they might start me in the mail room. I was devastated. I…

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A tribute to Dave Davis

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From Don Hallock As I remember, a 30 year old Dave Davis came to us at WGBH-TV from the University of North Carolina campus TV in 1957. That was the same year I, at 19, began in the scene shop as assistant to Peter Prodan. Dave was a musician and veteran television Producer-Director. He succeeded…

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Going Public (1964-1970)

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From Michael Ambrosino: I’ve never considered myself an intellectual; my memory and thought processes are just not good enough for true intellectual work. I do, however, have an insatiable curiosity and enjoy the world of ideas.

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A Time to Dance (1959)

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From Brooks Leffler Script Conference, A Time to Dance, 1959. Left to right: Paul Noble, AD; Jac Venza, Producer; Martha Meyers, host; and Greg Harney, Director. This was the first of Jac’s very long list of arts programs for public television. From Al Kelman This certainly looks like a collection of dangerous misfits. Actually, it…

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Ruth Anne’s Christmas Show (1950s)

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From Brooks Leffler Ruth Anne’s Christmas Show. Not the parody Christmas show, the real thing. Staff was invited to be the campers for the day, and Ruth Anne led them in a kids’ song, the name of which escapes me. Note: this pic is a Photoshop marriage of two pics that didn’t quite match. Visible:…

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Friends in Need (1962)

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From the Boston Sunday Globe TV Week — April 29, 1962 From the collection of Al Hinderstein Dave Davis and Greg Harney on the far right, Hindy with the camera on the roof of the bus. (This picture was taken at the 84 Mass. Ave. site. That’s the charred TV master control console in front…

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WGBH’s First Princess (1959)

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  From Don Hallock “It’s little…. It’s lovely…. It lights.” What was it? It was the “Princess Phone.” In about 1959 Ma Bell introduced this small, oval shaped, designer telephone in pastel colors, probably to appeal to women and teenage girls. It was an early touch-tone model with keys that lighted when the handset was…

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Discovery with Mary Lela Grimes (1955-56)

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From Mary Lela Grimes (now Mary Sherburne) Here are some [stories] from the very first days of WGBH-TV that may interest the oldies and provide images of the primitive days of TV for the young. Snakes During the first year WGBH was on the air, an early Discovery program with Mary Lela Grimes was on…

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The 1961 WGBH Fire

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From Don Hallock In the early morning hours of October 14, 1961, a raging fire at the 84 Massachusetts Avenue studios of WGBH completely destroyed the facility. WGBH FM and TV were located in the second and third floors of a three story roller former skating rink. The fire, which began in the studio-A area,…

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Don Hallock

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Years at WGBH: 1956 -1963 Position(s): Scenic Artist, Cameraman, Producer/Director Online: Torus – an art gallery without walls, Buffalo Nickel Productions, The National Center for Experiments In Television (NCET) website, The Don Hallock Annex (artwork retrospective), email: From Don Hallock— 8/30/2011 I live (as of 1977) in Honolulu.  I’ve been married to the wonderful…

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About the Reunion

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From Don Hallock — 3/29/2000 The WGBH Reunion is scheduled to take place on: Saturday, April 8, 2000 1:00 to 4:00 pm At the WGBH studio building, 125 Western Ave., Boston MA 02134. The event will celebrate alumni who were with us in the formative years of 1955 -1980. (Of course, we won’t be surprised,…

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Guestbook

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This page represents the entire WGBH Reunion 2000 Guestbook as it appeared through the period up to, and including, the actual reunion date. Total: 158 guests Name: Roy T. Brubaker Website: Crest National Referred by: From a Friend From: California Time: 2000-05-13 18:01:21 Comments: Sorry I could not attend the reunion. Name: Jack Kean Referred…

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The Party XVII

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237. Robert Wilson and Aida Moreno. 238. Russ Morash and Emily Lovering. 239. Bruce Bordett, Russ Morash, Emily Lovering and Basil Chigas. 240. Ron Milton and Louise Miler. 241. Tom Sumida and Nora Sinclair. 242. Bob Ferrante and Doug Smith. 243. Bob Carey, Michael Ambrosino, Tony Cherubini and Jack Summerfield. 244. Greg Harney and Marcia…

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